Yellow Roses Remember Me
by Lead Tears
Summary: The Color Counterparts--the counterparts to the Chibi senshi--have taken a stand. But with who? Their leader, or the enemy? (Please read and review. Chapter 5 now up.)
1. Misted Memories

Yellow Roses ~ Remember Me  
1: Misted Memories

  
She had stood at her Gate, that of Life, for a long time. She could very well remember the time before her Gate, a time she wished she could return to. A time that made her existence in the yellow and red plane of her Gate so much harder to endure. A time she wished her eternal memory would let her forget. Just wishing the dagger that constantly made her think of that time would unstick from her heart, leave her in peace.  
Twisting. Always twisting, forever a reminder.  
She didn't need that pain to remember. Her loneliness was enough to remind her.  
Too many passed through the Gate of Life for her to remember, all of them passing but once. Except for those with further business in the mortal world. Those tied down to it. The senshi.  
The didn't know her.  
Didn't recognize her.  
But she'd always remember them.  
Every LifeCycle the Senshi of a particular system would gather and pass through to be reborn together. Each LifeCycle was staggered with another so that there would be at least some sort of defense against chaos. Not much, but a little.  
Rarely a lone Senshi such as Pluto could be seen crossing the expanse of mist. And Pluto was the only one who had ever seemed to notice the red-and-yellow clad Guardian of Life. A _fellow_ guardian.  
There was also a Gate that paralleled hers in purpose, though not under her control. True, she knew how to open that Gate, but her honor called for respect of the Black Moon's Gates. They seemed to respect hers.  
She sighed and tugged self-consciously at the short red and yellow pleated skirt. Things weren't always as easy as they appeared. She'd learned that the hard way.  
Things that had seemed well within her grasp had been ripped from her arms, shattering all her dreams and hopes. She still believed that she had been awarded this responsibility to mend her soul.  
Instead, it had ripped it further.  
She had too much time to dwell in the past, thinking of what she should've done differently. And looking for the same person, though she _knew_ she'd be disappointed in the end.  
_He isn't going to come back!_ she stubbornly told herself. _He won't be reborn. No reason too...I'll never find him..._ "Why do I even try?" She closed her eyes tight as a single tear slipped down her face. _I ignored him for so long..._ She leaned back against the pure white arch that was such a big part of her Gate. _I have no right to have him back._  
Dismally, she kicked at a patch of red mist with her yellow boots. They had a heel on the of about an inch and a half, enough for comfort, elegance, and practicability as far as Senshi footwear was concerned. At the knee they slanted off to the side, giving her knees a white 'v' when she stood with her ankles touching.  
With those boots she stood at 5 feet, 6 and 1/2 inches tall. And was proud of that height.  
Starting to breathe normally again, she stretched muscles long ago too tense to allow running. Standing up all the time had its disadvantages. She didn't know how Sailorpluto did it. Did Pluto even sleep? She would find herself nodding off once and awhile, but it wasn't like anything bad would happen if she just fell asleep at her post. There was a _little_ she had to do in the way of upkeep, but it wasn't anything that couldn't wait until the next century. Then again, she'd been the guardian of the Gate for little less than one LifeCycle.  
For a second, a thought flashed through her mind. _Why not leave? There's never been any trouble._ Long ago the novelty of 'owning' a Gate had worn off. She hesitantly took a step forward, then back, her white-sheathed sword slapping against her right thigh.  
She looked down at it, and could hear the voice of her mother echoing through time.  
_I just want you to be happy._  
Her resolve firmed, she turned towards the mirror-like substance of her own Gate. Before she sighed and walked through, she took care to brush the tears away with a gloved hand with a smile, letting them fall from that.  
He dove to catch them, his own form solidifying as Atris' passed further through her Gate. He stood and looked after her. "Because you have to," he whispered before going through himself. 


	2. Apartment Goodbyes and Hellos

Yellow Roses ~ Remember Me  
2: Apartment Goodbyes and Hellos

Tori rushed around her apartment, readying herself for school. She knew she had plenty of time, but it was always better to be on the safe side.  
She ran through her kitchen, fixing both her breakfast and lunch at the same time. Her lunch complete, she took both and put the one on the table, while gulping down the other.  
Done with those tasks, she slipped her school shoes and lunch into her backpack. Gathering her things together, she smiled to no one but herself.  
Pulling her battered but well cared for inline skates onto her feet, she threw her backpack on. She offered a brown-eyed wink to the apartment, and in a swish of red hair, she was gone. 

*~*

Tori arrived at school early enough to start studying for a math test she would have later that day. She could hear snippets of conversation, but it wasn't until the bell had nearly rung that she took any notice. Or rather, was forced to notice.  
"Hey, is that Tsukino Usagi going to be late again?" a boy called to another stationed at the window.  
"I have a feeling so." His speech bore a snide smile that she could hear in his tone.  
"Oooohh...there she is! Oh.... She just tripped over some roadkill!" A stunned moment of silence, then... "No...it's alive..."  
Suddenly, from overhead, the bell rang.  
The box from the window shook his head as he retreated to his seat. "I hardly believe she'll be able to pass the entrance exams next year..."  
Seething inside with anger on behalf of a person she had never met, Tori focused that anger at her math formulas. 

*~*

Tori sat under a tree during their lunch break, still feeling a little of her mornings anger. Trying to calm herself down wasn't an easy task today. She had really no idea why her anger had been triggered so severely, nor as to why it still smoldered without further incentive. Usually she was very well composed, usually able to stay calm. So why had her anger's trigger been struck with those little comments?  
She unwrapped her lunch and started to eat.  
Truth be told, this sort of scared her. It was different than the norm, to the point that she had very much wanted to hit them upside the head.  
Tori rested her forehead on her knees. It couldn't be that Tsukino Usagi being tormented behind her back that had triggered her anger, could it? The only think Tori "knew" about her was that she was evidently a year head of her. And the only reason she know that was because of those two boys.  
She sat there for awhile, just contemplating the conversation before her sudden burst of anger. As she sat still, she could hear the improvised baseball game behind her. Her eyes flared open as she automatically reached out with her left had to stop the ball before it completed its crash into her shoulder blade. In one fluid motion she stood up and threw it to the most closets baseball player. _Hard._  
He barely had time to raise the mitt in defense before the ball slammed into it. He reeled back a pace before his natural balance saved him from falling on his rear.  
She glared at him a second longer, as if it was he who had thrown the ball at her in the first place. She stormed off with much of her anger renewed.  
He returned to the game, throwing a look over his shoulder once or twice for another glimpse at a memory long forgotten. 

*~*

She entered her apartment, discarding all her school things for now. Grabbing a small snack until dinner time, she walked around restlessly. She was edgy, nervous, and still had ties to the anger, though it had last much of is keen edge.  
Little things...little things were getting to her now. First that conversation, then the baseball. What was happening to her?  
Grudgingly, she plopped down into a chair before her table, letting her forehead fall onto her arms.  
Deep down, she was afraid something was triggering these unwanted emotions, manipulation her into its pawn. _Violet's pawn._  
Something within Tori shifted restlessly with that thought, fidgeting with displeasure. Confirming her theory.  
Her forehead felt hot on her arms.  
And then something else caught her attention.  
There was a vase on the table with a single, long-stemmed yellow rose.  
"Yellow roses," she whispered, then smiled. Kadinaru had always decorated with yellow roses.  
Still smiling, she picked up the vase and carried it over to the keyboard on the other side of the room.  
She felt every worry float away on the stream of sweet music that she coaxed out of the plastic keys.  
This time she didn't notice the something-darkness?-stirring to the surface. 


	3. A Time of Shadows

Yellow Roses ~ Remember Me  
3: A Time of Shadows  


Akihiro was still thinking about that girl who had thrown that baseball at him such a severe way. He asked himself why she had been mad at him as he walked home. She had glared at him as to ward off some disease. What had he done? Moreover he felt as if he _should_ have remembered her, and felt guilty for not. It was strange.  
He went through the motions of life without noticing that his hands were guided by another.  
Akihiro didn't understand. When could he have know her?  
Later, he walked to the park, still oddly pondering his puzzle he felt he would never be rid off. Looking over the lake, he could see the golden sun extinguishing itself in it's waters.  
Sitting down to fully enjoy is beauty, he began to notice how quiet it was, the sound of the water lapping against the shore making for a serene background.  
"It was beautiful back then, too." Akihiro looked around to see who had spoken. "Everything I can remember from that time was of silver, gold, and crystal." There was a wistful tone in the voice. Akihiro could see now who had spoken, and wasn't quite sure of what he was seeing.  
Against the tree to his immediate right, stood a figure cloaked in the typical armor of those in the picture books he had read as a child. His image seemed patched and frayed, his solidness shifting like water under glass. He gave a smile to Akihiro to try to put him at ease, the yellow diamond eyes glinting in the retreating sunlight.  
"Who...who are you?" Akihiro wasn't sure if the spirit could hear him, let alone understand him. _If he was even there._  
The spirit gave a wry smile. "Who I am is no longer of concern since I am a person that no longer needs a name." The spirit paused for intended humor. "You, however, are the future."  
Akihiro just stared, dumbfounded, not quite sure if the spirit had definitely spoken. An odd look passed over the spirits face, then he bowed and was gone.  
Akihiro sat by waters edge for awhile, as if waiting could bring the spirit back. Finally, he sighed and trudged home, burdened with even more things to plague his mind. 

~x~

As Grace walked, the air seemed tight about her. It made her dizzy, made her sick.  
Peace. She sought peace.  
Finding herself drawn to the park, she fairly flew to escape the stifling air. She settled down on a bench with the setting sun to her back. She then heard something that made her skin prickle on the back of her neck.  
"You, however, are the future."  
Her eyes flared open with recognition. _Hiro!_ She crept a little ways and saw Hiro's twin sitting on the bench. She gave a wide smile. _He's been reborn!_  
She suppressed the urge to rush out and give him a hug. She tried to shove that part of her away. She knew who he was, but did _he_? Would he recognize her? Did _she_ look the same?  
Reluctantly, she retreated to the lakes edge and took in her mirrors reflection. She drew back instantly. The only thing she had glimpsed was the symbol of the Black Moon. The thing prickled uncomfortably as if knowing its existence was being thought about.  
Steadying herself, she gazed into the water again. The eyes that peered back at her were a brown-almost black, a slight smile shimmering onto the mouth of the reflection. In fact, the reflection winked at her and pointed mockingly at it's forehead. A second later, the blemishing symbol faded to a gray. The reflection then turned back into her own. As Grace frowned, so did the mirrored surface.  
The white silk crepe of her gown flowed into her face as she stooped down at the ponds edge. Wishing it away, she noticed that her hair was black, pieces of silver standing out beautifully in the ankle length stream, with seven strings of red beads braided into the mix. Gazing approvingly at the water, she tied its silkiness back from her face with a matching white ribbon. Smiling for the first genuine time in many a century, she turned towards the way that led to Osa-P.  
She received many an odd look as she walked-or skipped-down the sidewalk. She couldn't suppress the certain bounce in her step as she rounded the corner. Then she hesitated, not knowing what to do.  
The dark energy was stronger here than it had been in the park. It was drawing her forward, wanting to send her as much of its evil energy as her soul could contain. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone run her way, then dart into the jewelry store.  
With a start, she realized who it was, but only after the figure hade slipped inside. "Serenity?"  
Serenity had been reborn too? _The rest of those Senshi must have been reborn in this period too...the always did walk together, no matter their differences._ She glared at the wall. _They would stand by their princess._  
Now that she thought about it, it made sense for them all to be reborn now. Their births were separated in time from each other...or glued to it. _And isn't unheard of for Pluto to transport the wayward solider home_, she thought with a wry smile.  
Grace needed to get in there. **Now**. She knew care had to be taken. If anyone saw the mark on her forehead and knew what it meant...she wouldn't stand a chance. She no longer had any power.  
Flattening her hair onto her forehead, she crept into the darkened building without anyone noticing her. She was a creature of the dark, she realized with a tint of sadness. She had forgotten how easy it was to navigate in the shadows.  
She hissed with displeasure when Serenity proclaimed her identity as 'Sailormoon' and the Youma summoned those it had bent to its will. Highly surprised she watched as 'Tuxedo Kamen' put in an appearance too.  
Watching him make his exit, she felt, more than saw, someone to her left start for him.  
_Hiro_.  
Turning towards him, she noted that he was only barely visible to her eyes, not as clear as his image before had been. "They won't see you," she whispered, snagging ahold of his cape.  
Startled, Hiro turned around. To say the least, Hiro had been going _through_ buildings, signs, and the like all day. To actually feel something prohibiting his movement forward shocked him. To see a very much solid Grace looking _at_ him and not _through_ him made him let out a yelp of surprise. The fact that she was still holding onto his rather transparent cape was still yet _another_ matter.  
"Silent...? How..? But..." His words stumbled over each other in shock.  
She sighed deeply. "Hiro...I'm _Grace_. Not Sih." A wistful smile contorted her lips before her eyes flickered to where Sailormoon and Tuxedo Kamen had been. The smile then faded as worry replaced it. "It appears that both Serenity _and_ Endymion have been reborn. It stands to reason that the other Sailor Senshi of the Solar System have been reborn this cycle."  
His eyes flickered to the gray symbol on her forehead. "Do they remember anything?"  
She sighed again and leaned against the wall. "I don't think so. Did you see how Serenity had to be told what to do, to stay on track? Endymion didn't seem to know her either."  
"If the other Senshi have been reborn," Hiro said slowly, "how come they weren't here? Surely they wouldn't leave their princess to fight alone."  
Grace gave a wry smile. "I've been watching the papers. No one expect 'Sailor V' has been topside."  
"Sailor _V_?" He threw her a confused look.  
"Venus." She gave another wry smile. "Solo work always did seem to be her forte." A troubled look then settled onto her face.  
"What is it?" he asked, automatically talking a step closer.  
She pulled out a faded newspaper clipping out of the folds of silk. Handing it out for him to see, she explained. "That is one of the pictures the reporters have captured of Sailor V."  
Placidly gazing at the picture, he noticed one thing -- the symbol of the White Moon on her forehead. Looking up, he understood the sad look on Grace's face. "Decoy?" He got a nod in reply. "Well, what are we going to do?"  
Grace shrugged and simply said, "Nothing." At his look of utter disbelief, she continued. "I have only enough power to maintain this form." She rubber her temples, fighting the roaring headache that was suddenly approaching. "Maybe less," she whispered. "At any rate, we have to wait for them to find us." At his almost rebellious look, she continued once again. "I highly doubt even you would be able to protect me if they got it in their heads to kill me. You're not even semi-solid."  
Highly aggravated, he crossed his arms over his chest. "_So_? It's not my fault. How come _you_ get to be solid?"  
She rubbed her temples again to try to chase away the pain that her head had been ensnared in. _Twisted inside, brilliantly burning..._ A part of her cried with pain before the other half could push it away. She took in a deep breath as the pain subsided, as the pain in the old scar in her back faded.  
"Sih?"  
_Yes?_ apart of her asked. _Hiro? Why do you look so afraid?_  
_Because he loves you_, the other part of Grace mocked.  
_Stop it!_  
_Why? It's fun to mock you._ The tone grew sorrowful. _It's the only think I can do well..._  
Grace pulled herself back together, and with a tightened smile that fooled no one, said, "See you later." She watched as he smiled and faded before walking out the door.  
She didn't see the red haired girl that fell into step behind her. Her mind was still at war. Didn't notice as a girl with dark crimson hair-the color of blood-followed a step behind that, or even as two more came after that.  
The last thing she knew was the burning in her back. 


	4. Meandering Memories

Yellow Roses ~ Remember Me  
4: Meandering Memories  


Tori's alarm buzzed in the new day. Unwillingly, Tori untangled herself from the mess of pillows and blankets that were her bed. Getting ready for school, she let her mind meander down yesterday's roads.  
Towel drying her hair after her shower, she glanced in the mirror in her room as she passed it. It took a moment to register.  
Whirling around to the place the mirror reflected, she saw nothing. Turning to the mirror itself was her reflection.  
Her reflection had reddish brown hair that came to her chin, though shorter now that it was wet. Her eyes were wide enough to see all around the brown orbs edge. She was wearing her school uniform, though it had the look of a wilted flower.  
Her _second_ reflection had a shimmering glow around her, neither black nor white, but still there, barely perceptible. She looked much the same, a pleasurable smile around her, despite the dark air that hung heavy as a cloak about her shoulders. Her green eyes glittered, and her hair was long enough that it lay on the ground, seven strings of white beads strung into it. She wore a simply cut, yellow silk dress that fit her frame well.  
Tori stole another glance over her shoulder. Nothing there. She bit back the fear the tried to engulf her. _Now what have I done wrong...? Is this for getting angry?_  
The reflection gave a reassuring smile. "No, you're not in trouble."  
Tori's mouth went dry. She could hear this one right off the bat? "What...what...do you want of me?" She sputtered. "If you want life, I can't give you that."  
The reflection gave her another reassuring smile, throwing her red-brown hair over her shoulder, letting it cascade down her back. Taking a deep breath, she leaned forward slightly, resting her hand atop Tori's mirrored shoulder. The girl could feel the chill of it. "In a few days time, there will be a ball. You are to attend."  
Tori blinked, shocked. Her? Attend a formal _ball_? That was worse than asking to live. She wanted to laugh in the reflections face. What right did this figment of her early morning imagination have to tell her what she was of was not going to do?  
Sensing the resentment to the order, the reflection crossed her arms over her chest, one eyebrow quirked in question. _'Figment', eh?_ "You are going." The reflections eyes narrowed dangerously. "Whether you want to, or not."  
Tori opened her mouth to let loose a biting retort, when something stopped her. That restless energy within her rose to take control of her muscles. A prisoner in her own body.  
Her body turned without permission and her hand reached for the hairbrush. The reflection now overlapped her own with a transparent quality that frightened her. "You know, I didn't want to do that to you." The reflection paused, then sternly said, "But you _are_ going to this ball."  
In the very back of her own mind, Tori spoke out, fright clearly imprinted on her voice. "Why do you want this? What are you going to do?"  
Her mouth formed a sad smile. "I just want you to be happy." The reflection relinquished control of her body.  
As her senses came back to Tori, she realized that she was lying on her bed, having fallen straight backwards, the brush still in her hands.  
"Well?" the reflection quipped.  
Muttering out of the room about pests of imaginations, Tori continued her daily routine, staying far enough away from the mirror as to be conspicuous. She positively brimmed with anger, though not so mach as she had had in the past few days. Her hands shook--she didn't just feel angry.  
She didn't notice how the vase in the living space repaired itself after she knocked it over with her lunch box, or, in fact, that her lunch and breakfast had already been put together. All she noticed was how the something inside her was trying to make itself seem as inconspicuous as possible.  
Still grumbling, she headed out for school. 

~x~

By the time she had reached school, her anger had spent itself. She was edgy and fidgety, knowing that her body had been taken over by someone else, and that she had been helpless to do anything about it.  
She didn't notice how her pencil kept correction itself all day--in her handwriting nonetheless--but did notice that when left unattended in her desk, it would write questions. Feeling that she didn't have to read (or for that matter answer) such things, she left her pencil on her desktop. 

~x~

The reflection paced in the mirror, agitation written all over her face. Her fingers kept twitching in nervousness. "She isn't listening. She's purposefully blocking me out! What.." she turned to her companion, "what do I do, Danku?"  
Danku slid her fingers through her black hair with blue highlights. "Leave Lady to me." 

~x~

A girl stood amngost the shattered pieces of what should have been her home. Her cold green eyes--that like jade--took in the destruction. Her apparently likewise sixteen year old companion gave her a skittish look.  
"Midori..." More of a whispered whine than anything else. "This...can't be it..." Her voice took on a pleading tone. "It just can't be!"  
Midori, the one of green eyes and hair, continued to survey their surroundings before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath of stale air. "Ah, but it is, Chibimoon." She opened her eyes and her line of a mouth twisted into a wry smile. She looked absolutely evil, with that odd smile, an odd breeze pulling at her green skirt and lighter green bows. She took another long draft of air. "Silver Millennium." Another long and slow, evil smile. "My mother lived her."  
Sailorchibimoon tensed, ready for the explosion of cold fury that was so common in her cold friend. Mid didn't talk much, but woe-be-you if you managed to bring _this_ topic to the surface.  
Midori noticed Chibimoon tense--how could she not?--and turned an oddly friendly smile to her. "Don't worry. I won't loose it this time." Sadly, she ran her fingers across the stone that had collected so much dust. "I have spent so much time here already..." Her voice grew quiet and was laced with a subtle anger. "I have realized that it wasn't their fault."  
Chibimoon wondered at Sailormidori's _new_ quiet ways. What was she talking about? 'Their fault', she had said, but who did that pertain to? She knew very little of Midori's past, but enough to know that it was scared enough for both Sailorpluto and Neo Queen Serenity to agree that granting Sailormidori's wish. That wish was to leave the Court of New Millennium, and to guard the ruins of the past Silver Millennium. It seemed therapeutic at least.  
Midori turned to her with a sad smile. "They are calling me back, aren't they?"  
Chibimon blink and it took her a second to process that question. Her eyes grew large as she grasped the topic. "No!" she shouted, not fully realizing how loud her outburst would ricochet off of the broken stone. After wincing, she continued. "They said..." she paused to take out a copy of the her message that had been tucked just inside the pink collar of her fuku. She opened her mouth to read it aloud, then shrugged and handed the parchment over.  
She took the note with foreboding. It was in the Queen's own messy hand. _Important then._ Sailormidori--  
This paper has been infused a spell into that shall allow the instant communication between our time and yours. Chibiusa has no idea. Don't tell her. There is something going on that has an effect on our time. Even Sailorpluto is clueless as to what. Go to Earth and research.  
Take care. Send her back. Now. She took a deep breath as that message was replaced by another, the one that Chibimoon saw. It is thought in the best interest you stay at Silver Millennium.  
--NQS Midori nodded and fixed a smile to her face as she looked at Chibimoon. "So why don't you go back and tell them I'm behaving myself?"  
Chibimoon blinked, once again caught totally off guard. How had Midori known that she had been sent to see if she'd gotten any better, of how her mother had insisted that Sailorchibimoon should go and deliver the parchment herself, instead of just having it come through a cloud as was customary.  
Unconscious of her own actions, Chibimoon gave a small tug on the chain that held her Time Key. She gave Midori a smile. "Sure, I'll tell them you haven't _killed_ anything lately." She watched the stormy look that passed over Sailormidori's face.  
Her voice was flat, completely devoid of any emotion. "I don't kill things, C-Moon."  
Chibimoon froze. She knew that tone, and saw how impassive Sailormidori's face was, her eyes neon green glass. The look was forcefully shoved away a second later, eyes closing to concentrate on controlling herself. "Sorry C-Moon."  
Chibimoon's crimson eyes flared open with surprise. _Midori...apologized?!_  
Midori winced at the look of utter disbelief on the others face.  
Chibimoon slipped the chain above her head and played with the chain. "I guess I'd better go back." Her voice was tinged with sorrow.  
Midori just nodded, willing time to tick by slower. She was saddened by the fact that Chibimon had to go so soon. Her only friend. Her smile faltered. "Hey...take care, okay?"  
Chibimoon turned back, the Key already high above her head. She shot Midori a winning smile. "Of course." With that, Sailorchibimoon, princess Small Lady of New Millennium, disappeared in a puff of pink smoke.  
For a few minutes, Midori just stood there, not sure of what she had just seen. Numbly, she stumbled back to her room, the only guestroom that still stood. Once there, she sat on her bed heavily, her face in her hands, not minding the little picture that had found its was under her shoe.  
She had seen through the very tips of Sailorchibimoon's pink boots. 


	5. The Looking Glass

Yellow Roses ~ Remember Me  
5: The Looking Glass  


A little girl sat in front of her mirror, childishly trying to braid her hair. Instead she was knotting it up.  
She seemed simply ecstatic when she saw the transparent woman that slipped into the mirrors view. "You b'ck," she whispered, the awe in her tone clear.  
Danku smiled at the adorable child. "Of course, Eki-chan. I said I would be, didn't I?" She sat behind the little girl and began to work out the mess of knots. "What kind of imaginary friend would I be if I made promises I didn't plan on keeping?"  
Ekichou smiled. She loved her imaginary friend. She couldn't imagine _not_ knowing her. Her brother kept insisting that she didn't exist...but here she was, same as always. "C'n you tea'th me how tah do dat?" The little girl pointed to the olders' hair.  
Danku hesitated. She had to give in to those pleading eyes however. How could she not? She smiled. "To do that I have to have a clippy."  
"Clippy?" The little girl wrinkled her forehead in confusion.  
"A clippy..." Danku unclipped the thing from her hair to show the child. And just for fun she snapped it at Ekichou's nose who shrieked into laughter.  
"A monster-mouth clippy!" she proudly declared. She ran out of the room and back again with the desired item faster than Danku could stop her.  
Having Ekichou set before her again, she parted the child's shoulder-length black and blue-highlighted hair that was the match of her own. After gathering all of the child's hair into a ponytail, she twisted it up, and then used the 'monster-mouth clippy' on it.  
Ekichou just beamed at her friend. "You gonna stay dis time?"  
_Blink_. "What?"  
The little child frowned slightly. "You gonna stay 'while? You left fast yes'day."  
Danku gave the little girl a smile as she reached for the hair gel. "A friend of mine is having a little...trouble." She smoothed the gel onto the child's hair to keep it in place.  
"Ta'ble?"  
"Mmhmm. She's like me except that her friend won't listen."  
The child relaxed. She had thought for a moment that Danku was going to leave her, to be the imaginary friend of someone else. She was always afraid of that. Always would be. _The irrepressible fear of your best friend leaving you._ Ekichou shook the odd thought away.  
"Eki-chan?" Danku started to fix her own hair back to the way it had been before.  
"Yea', Danku-sama?"  
Danku winced, unnoticed to Ekichou. "Do you think you can help my friend and I?"  
Before she knew it, her little friend had her coat and shoes, and was heading out the door. 

~x~

Tori walked through her apartment, and directly into her room which she had been purposefully avoiding. She had a quilt over her arm.  
"Torieeeee..."  
She stopped on her heel and looked into the shadows. Her eyes narrowed, something within her stirring to a boil. "Name yourself."  
"Icy edge..." the person in the shadows murmured.  
Tori shifted the quilt a little on her arm. "Verde? That you?"  
"Si." Verde slipped out of the shadows, her black greatcoat giving the impression that she was still in the shadows. She was graceful, that much Tori could admit. Silent as an assassin.  
Tori relaxed. "I thought you left." She threw an appraising look over the cloaked woman. "You look well."  
Verde tipped her cap in recognition. "As do you." She looked at the quilt. "For the mirror?"  
Tori nodded. She thought for a second, then asked, "Do you think I'm crazy, Verde?"  
The other shook her head. "There is no way I could ever think you crazy. I know what it is you see." Her eyes grew sad.  
Tori nodded, and left, knowing Verde's ways. There were rules on what she could, and could not, say.  
Verde was gone again before Tori left for work. 

~x~

Akihiro had been told by his mother to take his little sister out for a walk. Instead it was he who was being made to walk. In fact, he was being dragged down the sidewalk by a four year old. She seemed to even have a route in mind. Whenever he tried to go down a different road than she wanted, she pouted and refused to go. So he let her have her way. This wasn't so bad after all. He recognized some of the shops they were passing--he went this way to go to school. So that meant that he know where they were. Somewhat.  
She suddenly stopped in front of a shop door and ran her finger along the doorknob. He however didn't notice she had stopped until he almost ran over her.  
He kneeled beside her. "What is it?"  
"Lad'e," she said. Her eyes shone with triumph. "Lad'e 'ere." She turned to Danku, who stood beaming by her side. "'Elp 'er for you now."  
Akihiro rolled his eyes. She was talking to her imaginary friend again. He had one a long time ago. It had been crushing when he went away. And for some reason, he'd always had the nightmare that his imaginary friend had taken his own life after someone else died. Disturbing, really. He shook those thoughts away. "Do you want to go in?" He glanced at the sign above the door. A music shop. Terrific. Just where he wanted to spent the rest of the day in, with instruments and his crazy little sister.  
Sighing, he opened the door to allow her passage. She practically ran through the open gateway, catching his free hand and dragging him in in the process.  
It took awhile for his eyes to adjust to the soft light of the shop. After that, his eyes scanned the store.  
There really wasn't that much too see. Just a lot of dusty old instruments, amongst them a few new ones, and a couple of music books strewn into the mix. It had the look of an organized mess. There was only one other person in the shop. She wore the same bright blue as the cloth on the curtains, so he supposed that she was an employee. Now as they where approaching her, she was turning around. Akihiro hadn't expected to bump into anyone from school on this little 'take you sister out' exercise. Especially _this_ particular someone.  
Her skirt was a bright blue, coming up a few inches above her knees. A pair of matching blue socks attempted to reach to her skirt, falling short under her knees. The shirt was white and sleeveless, a mini-sailor collar adorning the front. The bow for it rode at her neck, and then the collar swooped out from there. In the middle of the shirt were the English letters 'MM' joined.  
"Well, what can we at Myu-jikaru Myn do for you?" Tori asked, as was the custom of the MM employees.  
Danku frowned upon this. Why should she have to work?  
Akihiro blinked. She didn't remember him? All the better then. He jabbed his thumb at his sister and said, "Sister dear," he rolled his eyes, "decided to listen and take orders from her imaginary friend."  
Danku fairly bristled. "She's _not_ taking orders," she spat. "She's _helping_ me!"  
Ekichou blinked, then turned to Akihiro. "Danku-sama asked'ed me to 'elp 'er an' 'er friend."  
Tori quirked an eyebrow. "Danku-sama?"  
Danku gave a twitch at that.  
Tori's eyes narrowed slightly and flickered in Danku's general direction. "What does 'Danku-sama' and her friend want?"  
Ekichou opened her mouth, shut it, then turned to Danku. "What wan'?"  
Danku paused. "For Lady to take the da-," she swallowed back the rest of the word,"-stupid quilt off the mirror."  
Ekichou turned back and smiled. "She said she wan' Lad'e tah take tah de'oopid quilt offa mirror."  
Tori paled. How did this child know about the quilt over her mirror? She looked back to the innocent looking child, her fear subsiding. Such an innocent face couldn't hide dark intentions, right?  
Danku frowned. "Tell her...that I know Verde, Eki-chan."  
Ekichou blinked up at Danku and nodded. Turning back to Tori, she said, "Danku-sama know Vird'."  
Tori blinked. "Vird'?" She thought for a second and then her eyebrows flew up with shock. "Verde?"  
Ekichou smiled and bobbed her head. She bounced up on her toes.  
Akihiro put his hands on the little child's shoulders in an attempt to keep her in one place. He blinked in surprise at finding himself sitting on the floor.  
Tori hesitated, then directed a question Ekichou's way while helping Akihiro to his feet. "If she knows Verde...then she must know what class she is, right? And her own?"  
Danku gave a wide smile. "Verde is Class 2-3B." She waited while Ekichou relayed this message before saying, "I'm Class 1-2-3."  
Akihiro just shrugged it off as a little child's ramblings. He didn't understand why Tori went along with it however. He poked Ekichou in the shoulder. "Mom and Dad are going to worry about us soon."  
Ekichou pouted as she was lead out the door.  
Tori was too deep in thought to see them go. She waved absentmindedly. "Come again soon." 

~x~

Tori stood before her encloaked mirror. She was slowly reaching for the quilt.  
"Braving the looking?" The voice came from the shadows, low and raspy, deathly quiet.  
Tori whirled around to find Verde leaning against her doorway, playing with a fine daggers edge. Tori let out a pen up breath. "I thought you were one of the others."  
Verde's eyes flared for a second before calming. She shook her head as she sheathed her dagger underneath her greatcoat. "They left."  
"All of them?"  
Verde nodded. "For the time being." She then quirked a smile at Tori. "They felt they were being a nuisance."  
Tori stepped back a pace or two and flopped backwards down on her bed, the mirror forgotten. "They were," she mumbled. She suddenly thought of a black haired four year old. Sitting up, she turned to Verde.  
_Gone, once again._  
Tori's eyes darted to the quilt-cloaked mirror. She sighed. She got up and took two handfuls of the quilt. She yanked on it, and it slid free. She blinked at the image.  
Her own image was gone, as was the reflection of her room. Instead, there was the yellow silk-clad image herself and another young woman that somewhat resembled her, hair pulled back into a half-pony tail, minute strips of silver entwined throughout the ruby strands. Tori blinked at her outfit.  
That new girl was a sailor solider.  
The image and the senshi didn't seem to notice her. They were turned so that they were both in a way beside each other, yet their overstuffed armchairs were tilted inwards to allow them to see and talk animatedly. An active fireplace on the opposite side of the room gave the stone walled place a cheerful feel.  
Despite the pleasant surroundings of the space, its occupants didn't seem happy.  
The solider was shaking her head. "I don't like it. Something's going to happen...And soon."  
The image sighed. "Too soon."  
You can't contact her to help?"  
The image glumly drove her heel into the floor. "She's thrown a blasted quilt over the mirror. Danku said that her 'little helper' has done all that she can do. It's all up to Atris now."  
Tori blinked, frozen to the spot, quilt folded over her arm.  
"I can't contact Verde either," the image continued. "Stupid constraints." She laid back in the chair, hidden from Tori. "Though I suppose," she went on mournfully,"that its better."  
The solider nodded and stood, slowly stretching. She turned around to get her staff that sat behind her chair, and stopped, her eyes wide. The image looked at her curiously and started to get up as well.  
"Um..." Tori fidgeted.  
Verde slipped from the shadows and gave a bow to the mirror. "Looking glasses shouldn't be a clear portal," she murmured. 

* * *

For some reason, this hasn't been working correctly. So I'm going to make sure this is a differnt chapter all together.


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